Monday, April 7, 2008

WLIFW - Ritu Kumar

Another collection that I just loved from the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week was the Ritu Kumar Collection. Ritu Kumar has long been a favorite and I have several pieces from her collection in my own closet. In India, every bride must have at least a few clothes from her bridal collection. Of late, Ritu Kumar has become brighter and bolder in her color palette and designs. Designing for decades, Ritu Kumar is largely considered a revivalist in Indian fashion Industry. Her designs have been known to reflect the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship with a modern twist. Her new collection was a welcome change from her affinity for muted tones and earthy colors.

Here Ritu went all out with opulent floral motifs on brightly colored backgrounds. The accessories were an all too visible part of the collection, be it the massive handbags, or the very in-your face bangles! The lengths varied… as did the style and seeming inspiration. What remained common, however, was color, color and more color!








Mirror work made an appearance from pieces as varied as this sari with a captivating print and interesting fabric and this lovely poncho with a muted grey background.





The very Indian color, Indigo, found a new expression. My personal favorites were the very Western cuts blended seamlessly with distinctly ethnic motifs! Awesome!





Shiny, shimmery, sequined skirts made their presence felt, through different sections of the collections. Whether with the vibrant florals, or with the fiery Indigo, they made a chic statement.





The fabrics included jersey, silk, satin and indigo Khadi. And the color palette was, well, limitless. Crimson, however, seemed to be the designer’s real muse, appearing on the models’ lips, in the flowers in their hair, in the accessories and the shoes! All in all, a very satisfying collection from one of India’s foremost designers. I am waiting for it to hit the stores.


All images courtesy yahoo.com

9 comments:

Mercedes de Marchena said...

I have a weakness for red...in any shade! That handbag is to die for!!!!

Vain and Vapid said...

I like the dresses from the 3rd set a lot. The floral print palette on the others is very Balenciaga-ish (S08 that is)...

samsara said...

All the pieces are beautiful and luxurious.

But what grabs me most is the styling. I just love to see flowers in the hair paired with bright scarlet lips, though it is hard to work that look for daytime. And crimson paired with indigo is inspired.

Pratishtha Durga said...

Goddess -- I proclaimed my weakness for red pretty early on :) I love the color. I am SO trying to get my hands on the bag!

Vain and vapid -- Yup. True. Guilty as charged, at least in my opinion. But then again, global trends get interpreted locally.

Pratishtha Durga said...

Samsara: Ritu is a queen of styling. She is a veteran designer and has dressed the Miss Indias for years. She really knows how to make woman look really beautiful, and that, I truly believe is what inspired fashion should be all about.

Anonymous said...

Love the giant, ruffly petticoats in the first two dresses. Such a gorgeous silhouette.

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

I love the giant fringe, prints, and drape of these pieces.
My belt was bought over six years ago at an import store...sorry I don't really remember a brand or anything.

Pratishtha Durga said...

You know what, Clothes Horse, that belt looks like it was made here! We get those a lot in India. And in beautiful colors too!

Ambika... I agree. They are just breathtaking. I am glad she has broken away from her usual designs.

Chi-Chi and the Greek Vintage said...

These look like pieces you would see at Christian Lacroix!
I love clothing from India! Our friend always brings my daughter and myself a sari or two when he visits and we wear them all the time! (we are of Greek/Italian and French heritage so ther are usually a few raised eyebrows when we arrive!)